A Colonel's Daughter (or Adventures in Volunteering)
by suzie2b
Summary: The Rat Patrol is assigned to escort a volunteer courier far behind enemy lines.


**Disclaimer:** _ **The Rat Patrol**_ **is not my property. They come out to play sometimes, then I send them home.**

 **Author's note: Don't worry, it's not a romance thing.**

 **A Colonel's Daughter**

 **(or Adventures in Volunteering)**

 **By Suzie2b**

 **Sergeants Troy and Moffitt, along with Privates Hitchcock and Pettigrew were in Captain Boggs' office discussing the patrol's upcoming mission. They were to escort a volunteer courier to an infantry unit and armored division that was dug in more than one hundred miles behind German lines. Unfortunately, the courier that had been assigned to this task had broken a leg and wasn't going anywhere for a while.**

 **Troy asked, "So who's the courier we're going to escort?"**

 **Captain Boggs opened a file and answered, "Charley Williams. Just spent three days out with a convoy and should be here any minute."**

 **Moffitt asked, "What's so important that the information can't be radioed to the 9** **th** **infantry?"**

" **High Command doesn't want to take the chance of a radio message being intercepted even if it's coded. And before you ask I don't know why they want a courier to go when they could just send the four of you with the package."**

 **There was a knock at the door and the captain's aide stuck his head in, "Excuse me, sir. Williams is here."**

" **Good. Send her in."**

 **Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully looked at each other wondering if they had heard the captain right.**

 **A rather bedraggled looking young woman entered the office. "Charley Williams reporting, sir."**

 **Captain Boggs said, "Come in and have a seat Miss Williams."**

 **Moffitt and Troy vacated the only extra chairs as Charley walked across the room to join them, saying, "Sorry about the way I look, sir. I haven't had a chance to clean up yet."**

" **That's perfectly all right. I understand and I won't keep you long. I've heard you had a rough trip this time."**

 **Charley wiped at a black smudge on her face as she sat down. "Yes, sir. Two of the men in the convoy died when we were attacked by a German patrol on our way back after the delivery."**

 **The captain sighed, "Yes, I've already received that information." He then indicated the men gathered around his desk. "This is Sergeant Troy and his men. I'm afraid you're going to have to go out again sooner than we would like."**

 **Charley looked at him with tired eyes. "Oh? How soon is that, sir?"**

" **Today."**

 **Charley's voice went up an octave as she said, "Are you serious?"**

" **I'm afraid so, Miss Williams."**

" **But I haven't slept in three days … or showered for that matter. What about Marcus? He was supposed to take the next mission. Wouldn't that be this one?"**

 **Captain Boggs said, "He broke his leg playing cricket."**

" **He broke his…" Charley put her hands over her face and rubbed her eyes with her fingers. "He's not even English!"**

" **I really am sorry about this, but you're the only one available."**

 **Charley looked up at Troy and sighed, "Do I have time for a nap and a shower?"**

 **Troy nodded, "It'll take a while to get things ready. Just meet us at the motor pool by noon."**

" **Thank you, sergeant. I appreciate it."**

 **Captain Boggs said, "Now, Miss Williams. I'll have everything here for you to pick up before you go to the motor pool."**

 **Charley looked at the captain. "What about my report?"**

" **Wasn't Sergeant Thomas your driver?"**

" **He was."**

" **I'll get a report from him. If I have any questions I'll talk to you when you get back."**

 **##############**

 **Noon at the motor pool found Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully ready to go. However, Charley was nowhere to be seen.**

 **Moffitt said, "Perhaps she over slept. A few hours' sleep hardly makes up for three days of being awake."**

 **Troy said, "Yeah. But we need to get going. Tully, take a walk. See if you can find her."**

 **Tully hopped off the hood of the jeep he'd been sitting on. "On my way." But he hadn't taken two steps when he saw her running towards them. "Here she comes now."**

 **Charley came to a stop when she reached the group and said, "Sorry … sorry I'm late. I stopped by the mess tent for a grab and go." She held up a sandwich wrapped in wax paper. "I was told it's meatloaf."**

 **Hitch grinned and said, "Don't believe everything you hear."**

 **Troy smiled, "Don't worry about it, Miss Williams."**

" **Please, call me Charley."**

" **All right, Charley." Troy pointed to each as he said, "This is Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully."**

 **Moffitt nodded and said, "You certainly look like you feel better than you did this morning."**

 **Charley smiled, "Amazing what a nap and a shower can do."**

 **Tully took the small pack and bed roll from her. "I'll put this in the jeep."**

" **Thanks. I suppose we should get going."**

 **Suddenly a booming voice came from behind her, "Charley!"**

 **Her eyes went wide and she took a breath and held it.**

 **The four men looked and saw a Colonel walking quickly towards them calling, "Charley Williams! I know it's you!"**

 **Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully saluted as Charley spun around and said, "Hi dad!"**

 **Colonel Williams stopped in front of his daughter and saluted the four soldiers as he said, "Don't 'hi dad' me, young lady!"**

" **Okay. What are you doing here?"**

 **The Colonel scowled. "Looking for you obviously!"**

" **Why?"**

" **So I can send you home of course!"**

 **Charley stared, unflinching, up at her father. "Not gonna happen."**

 **The Colonel's face began to turn red as his anger grew. "I did not allow you to join the volunteer services to have you sent out here!"**

" **You're the one who named me Charley. Is it my fault someone in a D.C. office thought I was a man?"**

" **You should have corrected them. They should never have sent you."**

" **I did correct them. I was then given a choice and I made my decision." Colonel Williams stared down at his daughter and she said, "Now you'll have to excuse us. We're about to leave on a mission."**

" **Captain Boggs told me about your 'mission'."**

 **Charley rolled her eyes. "And you told him to pull me from it, didn't you?"**

" **Yes, I did … but he refused because what you're carrying is important and no one else is available. I was hoping to talk some sense into you."**

" **Oh? So that's what you call this?" Charley stared at her father. After a few seconds of silence, she said, "Again, we have to go. If you're still here when I get back … maybe we can talk." She turned, walked to the nearest jeep and got in.**

 **Colonel Williams looked at Troy and said, "Boggs says you and your team are the best when it comes to the desert, sergeant."**

 **Troy said, "Yes, sir. We know what we're doing."**

 **The Colonel looked at his daughter, who had unwrapped her sandwich, and said, "One hundred miles behind enemy lines is a long way, sergeant. I want her back."**

" **Don't worry, Colonel. We'll take care of her."**

 **With that, Colonel Williams turned and strode away.**

 **Troy shook his head and went to stand next to Charley. She looked up at him after she swallowed a bite of sandwich and said, "I'm sorry you had to witness that. My father can be rather … head strong at times."**

 **Moffitt smiled and said, "Father and daughter are much alike I would say."**

 **Charley smiled. "Yeah. Well, we've been butting heads since I started talking in real sentences." Hitch got in behind the wheel and she said, "You're right. I can't believe everything I hear." She wrapped the sandwich back up in the wax paper. "If that's meatloaf, I'm Hedy Lamarr."**

 **Hitch chuckled.**

 **Troy asked, "By chance did Captain Boggs give you an updated map?"**

 **Charley reached for the small satchel at her hip and lifted the strap over her head. "Yes … yes he did." She reached inside and brought out a folded map. "I picked it up with the rest of my assignment before I went to the mess tent. The captain said a route has been marked to where the 9** **th** **infantry and armored division is at Barid Wadi."**

 **Troy took the map and opened it on the hood of the jeep. "Barid Wadi, huh. We haven't been out that way in a couple months."**

 **Charley got out of the jeep and walked over to one of the mechanics. She put the wrapped sandwich in his hand and smiled, "Enjoy."**

 **When she returned, Moffitt asked, "Do you know what information you're carrying?"**

" **No. It's sealed. Besides, unless I'm specifically told, I'd just as soon not have it in my head."**

 **Troy folded the map and handed it to Moffitt. "Well, looks like we're heading east. We've got a long drive ahead of us. Let's shake it."**

 **##############**

 **It was three hours before they passed into German territory. After another three hours, they stopped for the night at an abandoned homestead.**

 **Charley climbed out of the jeep and stretched. "Not that I'm complaining … but why are we stopping now?"**

 **Troy said, "We won't be able to make it to Barid Wadi before it gets dark. We stop here and we've got water from that well and shelter."**

" **Is there anything I can do to help?"**

 **Tully handed her the pack and bedroll she'd brought. "You can take the bedrolls and blankets inside."**

 **Charley nodded and set about gathering as much as she could hold before going into the abandoned house. She placed the bundles on the floor next to the door and stepped into the middle of the large single room that made up the house. There was a creaking sound under her feet as she moved around. She brushed at the dust on a table. She turned and heard a crack, but before she realized what was happening she'd fallen through the floor.**

 **Upon hearing the crash Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully dropped what they were doing and ran to the house.**

 **Troy yelled out Charley's name as they reached the door.**

 **Charley yelled back, "Don't come in!"**

 **They stopped just outside and looked in, but didn't see her anywhere.**

 **Moffitt saw the hole in the floor. "Charley, are you all right?"**

" **Yeah, but I don't think we should sleep inside tonight."**

 **Hitch said, "The floor must be rotted. If** _ **she**_ **fell through there's no way we're going to be able to get to her."**

 **Tully offered, "If I crawl … distribute my weight, maybe I could at least see what's she's fallen into."**

 **Troy shook his head, "No. Too big a chance you'd go through."**

 **Moffitt called out, "Charley, can you see anything to indicate where you are. Or if there might be another way out?"**

 **Charley looked around. "It's dark down here … but it looks like maybe an old storage cellar." Her eye caught a glimmer of light. "Wait a minute. I see light. Maybe it's a door."**

" **Tully … Hitch, go around to the other side of the house and see if there's a door."**

 **The two privates took off around the corner. Troy and Moffitt listened as Charley moved through the darkness below. There was another crash and she yelped.**

 **Troy called, "Charley! What's happening? You okay?"**

 **She called back, "I'm fine. But someone really needs to do a bit of housekeeping down here." Charley finally made her way across the dark room. She reached up as far as she could and felt rough wood and a handle. "It is a door!" She tried to push it open and sand sifted through the slit where the light came in. "But it won't open!"**

 **Hitch came back and said, "We found a door, but it's covered with sand."**

 **Tully was pushing sand aside with his hands as Troy, Moffitt, and Hitch joined him. Hitch went to his knees to help push sand away.**

 **Charley yelled, "Hey, you guys still up there? I said I found a door!"**

 **Tully called, "Hang on! We're almost to you!"**

 **Once enough sand was moved that the bar across the double doors was exposed, they were able slide it out to unlock the door.**

 **Troy called, "Stand back. We're going to open it."**

 **She took several steps back as the doors swung upward. Charley squinted as light and sand fell into a small portion of the cellar. She smiled slightly and said, "Hi guys."**

 **Troy sighed, "Okay, get her outta there."**

 **Afraid that the steps were as rotted as the floor above, Hitch and Tully reached down and pulled Charley up by the arms.**

 **As she started brushing dust and sand off her pants and shirt, Charley asked, "Do things like this happen often?"**

 **Tully smiled, "Oh, you'd be amazed by what happens out here."**

 **##############**

 **As the light dwindled they sat around the small fire that had been lit.**

 **Trying to make small talk, Hitch said, "Charley's kind of an unusual name for a girl."**

 **She smiled, "Well, the story my dad tells is that my mom wanted a girl named Marie. Dad wanted a boy named Charles." Her smile faded. "Then my mom died during childbirth."**

 **Moffitt said, "Sorry to hear that."**

 **Charley sighed as she continued, "Dad was so sure I'd be a boy. But … he got me. When it came time to put a name on the birth certificate he wanted to use both names that he and mom had chosen. However, Marie Charles Williams just didn't sound right. So dad decided on Charley Marie instead."**

 **Hitch said, "It couldn't have been easy growing up with a name like yours."**

" **School was hard at times. Teachers on the first day look for a boy during roll call. Mean little brats on the playground liked to tease me for having a boy's name. At one point, when I was about thirteen, I tried going by just Marie. But dad didn't approve. He said I should be proud of my name and not let anyone tell me different."**

 **Tully said, "Your father's a smart man."**

 **Charley nodded. "That he is. I went back to being Charley and have never regretted it."**

 **Troy asked, "How did you come to be a volunteer courier?"**

" **Dad joined the army a couple of months after my mom died. So we traveled a lot. I was exposed to a lot of military life. When the war started I wanted to join the army. Colonel Williams went ballistic. So after he'd left for England, I joined the volunteer service. The only reason he didn't argue about it was because he thought I'd never be called to come into a war zone."**

" **And someone in Washington D.C. assumed by your name that you were a man."**

 **Charley nodded, "They were looking for volunteers to be couriers. After I straightened them out about who I was, they gave me a choice … and here I am."**

 **Moffitt asked, "How long have you been here?"**

" **Almost six months. I wrote dad a letter to let him know, but not until I was already here. He's been trying to catch up with me ever since. I've just managed to stay ahead of him until now. I knew it would happen eventually."**

" **Why would you want to come out here?"**

" **It started out that it was the first time I ever made a decision on my own without my father somehow being involved. Then, once I got here and started being a courier I realized that I was doing something important." Charley smiled. "And I speak German."**

 **Moffitt smiled and said, "Das ist sehr hilfreich sich hier."**

" **Das ist, was die Leute in Washington sagte mir."**

 **##############**

 **Midmorning the next day they arrived at Barid Wadi to find no sign of the 9** **th** **infantry or the armored division that was with them.**

 **Tully looked around said, "It doesn't even look like they've been here at all."**

 **Troy said, "They must have gotten wind that the Germans were close and bugged out." He swung an arm around. "Okay, spread out. Look for tracks or something that will tell us which way they went." Charley took two steps and Troy said, "Not you. Stay with the jeeps."**

 **Charley nodded and sat down in the shade and leaned back against a tire.**

 **It wasn't long before tracks were found … going in two different directions.**

 **Hitch asked, "How do we know which set of tracks are our guys?"**

 **Moffitt knelt down to take a closer look. "These tracks here. They're definitely made by a halftrack. The others appeared to be a heavier American tank and possibly some trucks. I would hazard a guess that they left here just ahead of the Germans. Probably several days ago."**

 **They walked back to the jeeps, where Charley asked, "What happens now? I've never had my destination move before."**

 **Troy said, "Well, we could follow them and hope they didn't go too far. Or we can go back to headquarters and find out if they've heard anything."**

" **Can't you radio the 9** **th** **infantry and find out where they are?"**

" **They're on radio silence. And we're out of range to contact HQ."**

" **I guess we'll just have to follow them then, won't we?"**

 **Moffitt said, "That may not be a wise choice. You're not experienced out here."**

 **Charley conceded, "True. But I was trained to shoot just about every gun and rifle the army has to offer before I shipped out."**

" **Do you have a gun with you?"**

 **Charley reached into her satchel and pulled out a M1911 semi-automatic pistol. "I have three clips loaded and ready to use." She replaced the pistol in the satchel and looked at Troy and Moffitt pleadingly. "I haven't had a failed mission yet."**

 **Troy and Moffitt looked at each other, then Troy said, "All right. We'll go as far as we can today. Maybe we'll get lucky."**

 **They drove in the direction Moffitt indicated, but the tracks ended after less than a mile. They continued until Troy called for them to stop.**

 **Troy and Moffitt scanned the horizon in all directions with binoculars. There was no sign of the 9** **th** **infantry and armored division.**

 **Troy sighed, "Well, that's it than. There's no telling where they are by now."**

 **Charley stared out at the sand. "So we're giving up?"**

 **Moffitt said, "No choice. At this point, without any way of knowing which way they've headed, we'll never find them."**

 **Troy said, "It'll be dark soon. We'd better find a place to bed down."**

 **##############**

 **Morning came and Hitch caught up with Tully as they loaded the jeeps. "So, what do ya think?"**

 **Tully looked at him and asked, "Think about what?"**

 **Hitch watched Charley shake out her boots before putting them on. "About her. About Charley?"**

 **Tully glanced over his shoulder at her. He gave Hitch a slight smile as he said, "She's nice. Actually, she reminds me of one of my sisters."**

" **Ya know … I was thinking the same thing."**

" **You don't have a sister."**

 **Hitch shrugged and grinned. "Okay. She reminds me of my cousin Grace."**

 **Moffitt walked up and put his bedroll in the back of the jeep. "What are you two up too?"**

 **Tully said, "I was just saying how Charley reminds me of my sister. And Hitch says she reminds him of his cousin."**

 **Moffitt smiled, "I see."**

 **Charley walked over and put her things in the jeep.**

 **Moffitt handed her a piece of beef jerky. "Sorry there's no breakfast this morning."**

 **Charley smiled as she took the jerky. "Thanks."**

 **Troy joined them and said, "Okay, let's get moving."**

 **They drove for a good thirty miles. Then Tully's jeep began to sputter and eventually stopped altogether.**

 **With Hitch standing watch, Tully working on the clogged fuel line, and Troy and Moffitt studying a map, Charley was on her own for a bit. She rummaged through her pack until she found a worn and dog-eared paperback. With it in hand she walked to an outcropping of rock to sit in the shade and read.**

 **Troy watched her for minute to make sure she didn't go too far. When she sat down he went back to the map.**

 **A short time later Hitch spotted a German patrol. "Sarge, we've got company coming!"**

 **Troy grabbed binoculars to check for himself. Then he said, "There's only two halftracks. Moffitt, stay here with Tully and Charley. Hitch and I will try to run them off." He looked at Tully. "Get that jeep fixed."**

 **As usual Charley lost all track of time while reading. She looked up at the sound of a shrill whistle. First she saw Troy and Hitch driving away. Then she saw Tully waving at her to get down. Charley slid off the boulder she'd been sitting on and quickly got behind it. She peeked out and saw the German halftracks coming their way with Troy and Hitch going towards them. Without conscious thought she reached into her satchel, pulled out her pistol, clicked off the safety, and chambered a round.**

 **Charley wished she had binoculars as she watched from her hiding place, but there was so much smoke and dust being thrown up that she couldn't see much anyway, but she could hear the firefight. Then she noticed some loose rock roll down to her left. She turned as a German soldier dropped down just a few feet from her. He brought his rifle up, but before he got a shot off she fired twice, hitting him both times.**

 **Tully dropped the hood of the jeep and was latching it when he and Moffitt heard shots come from behind them. Moffitt swung the 50 caliber around and Tully grabbed a machine gun. There were three Germans making their way down the rocky outcropping. Both Moffitt and Tully fired and quickly dispatched the enemy soldiers. They scanned the area, but saw no one else.**

 **Moffitt glanced at Tully and said, "Go check on Charley."**

 **Tully quickly climbed up the short distance to where he'd last seen her. He found her hunched down on her knees behind the boulder with her arms over her head.**

 **As he moved towards her, Charley heard gravel crunch under someone's feet. She opened her eyes and swung around to take aim.**

 **Tully grabbed her wrist before she squeezed the trigger and the bullet went skyward. "Whoa! It's me … Tully!"**

 **Charley looked up at him with wide eyes. "I could've…"**

 **Tully cut her off as he pulled her to her feet. "But you didn't." He took the pistol out of her hand, checked it, clicked the safety on, and put it in his belt. "Are you all right?"**

 **Charley nodded and looked at the dead body of the German she'd shot. "I take it there were more than just him?"**

" **Yep. Guess there were four of 'em all together. We only saw three." Tully took her arm and started to lead her away. "Come on. Let's go."**

 **Moffitt breathed a sigh of relief when Tully and Charley came into view. He swung the 50 caliber back around in time to see Hitch driving at full speed with Troy firing his 50 caliber at the one halftrack that followed. Moffitt yelled over his shoulder, "Hurry! We have to get going!"**

 **As they jumped into the jeep, Tully told Charley to keep her head down. He pushed the starter and the jeep roared to life. He put it into gear and floored it just as Hitch flew by.**

 **After they outdistanced the halftrack, they kept going until Troy called a halt. He turned to Moffitt and said, "We need to find somewhere to spend the night. Know of any place we can hide in this area?"**

 **Moffitt jumped out of the back of the jeep. "I'll take a look at the charts."**

" **Tully … Hitch, keep your eyes open."**

 **They scrambled into the back of their respective jeeps to keep watch. Slowly Charley slid out of her seat and immediately fell to her knees. Troy and Moffitt were next to her in an instant.**

 **Troy asked, "Were you hit?"**

 **Charley shook her head.**

 **Moffitt said, "She's shaking like a leaf."**

 **Charley whispered, "I've never shot anyone before."**

 **Troy gave Moffitt a puzzled look and he looked up at Tully.**

 **From his place in the back of the jeep Tully said, "The shots we heard were her killing a forth German that we didn't see."**

 **Moffitt nodded. "She's in shock. Let's get her back into the jeep."**

 **As they got her to her feet, Charley whispered, "I'm so cold."**

 **Troy grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around her before getting her into the jeep. "Moffitt, go ahead and check those charts. I'll keep an eye on her."**

 **Moffitt grabbed his map bag and said, "Won't be but a moment."**

 **Troy looked at Charley and said quietly, "First time, huh?"**

 **Charley nodded.**

" **What about that last convoy you were with?"**

" **Got my pistol out, but…" Charley's teeth chattered as she continued, "As usual … I got pushed to the floor."**

 **Troy smiled sympathetically.**

 **Moffitt found the chart he was looking for, studied it for a moment, then said, "There's a small waterhole not far from here … maybe three miles. Last time we were out here there were some trees and scrub brush that could give us cover."**

" **Good. Let's shake it."**

 **##############**

 **Camp was set up for the night and Tully was making dinner. Charley hadn't moved out of the jeep. Moffitt had tried to get her to sit by the fire, but she only shook her head.**

 **Hitch watched her and said to Tully, "Wish I could do something. Sitting there by herself isn't going to fix anything."**

 **Tully poured coffee into a tin mug, added sugar, and handed it to Hitch. "Maybe this will help."**

 **Hitch took the mug and walked over to Charley. "Here. Take this. It'll warm you up."**

 **Charley took the mug and held it with both hands. "Thanks."**

" **At least your teeth aren't chattering anymore."**

 **She held the mug close to her face, feeling herself relax slightly as the warmth and aroma seeped into her. Charley said, "I'm starting to feel a little better." She took a sip of the coffee, then looked at Hitch. "Do you remember the first time you had to…?" She couldn't finish the sentence.**

 **Hitch sighed. "The first time I had to kill someone?" Charley nodded. "Yeah. We all remember our first time. It's not something you forget. But you can't dwell on it. You have to realize that it's self-defense."**

" **But it all happened so fast and I didn't even hesitate. I even almost shot Tully. I didn't know it was him. If he hadn't grabbed my arm…"**

 **Hitch looked at Tully. It was the first he'd heard of that. Then he said, "You've had some good training, but no real experience."**

 **Charley sipped her coffee for a minute, thinking about what had happened and what Hitch had said to her. Then she took a deep breath and said, "I think I'd like to sit by the fire now."**

 **Hitch grinned. "Sure. Come on."**

 **He helped her out of the jeep and held her arm as they joined the others.**

 **Moffitt looked at Charley and smiled as she sat down. "Feeling better?"**

 **She nodded. "A bit. Not as shaky."**

 **Tully handed her a plate of food. Charley took it and gave it a look. "What is it?"**

 **Tully smiled. "Well, I'd tell ya, but… "**

 **Charley took a bite, chewed, and swallowed. She reached for the mug of coffee to wash it down and said, "No … no, I don't want to know."**

 **##############**

 **When they got within radio range Troy contacted headquarters. He was told, in code, that the 9** **th** **infantry had indeed bugged out and he and his team were to report back to HQ.**

 **The drive was long. They were all tired. When they finally drove into the motor pool, it was with a sense of relief.**

 **They all got out of the jeeps and stretched. Charley sighed and said to no one in particular, "My first failed mission."**

 **Troy smiled. "Not really a failure. More of a complete waste of time and energy."**

 **Tully said, "Happens a lot out here. You get used to it after a while." He pulled the pistol out of his belt and handed it to Charley. "Just holding on to it 'til things settled down."**

 **She automatically checked the safety before slipping it into her satchel. "Thanks. It was probably a good idea."**

 **Suddenly Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully straightened up and saluted.**

 **Charley said softly, "Oh no…"**

 **Colonel Williams returned the salute as he put a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Good to see you all made it back. I was beginning to wonder."**

 **Charley turned and looked up at her father. She didn't remember the last time his eyes had looked so … soft. She stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. "Hi, dad."**

 **Colonel Williams smiled. "I've told you before. Not in front of the men."**

 **Charley returned the smile easily and said, "I'll try to remember."**

" **I'm looking forward to hearing about your mission."**

" **Why don't you come with us to Captain Boggs' office? We'll tell you all about it." Charley looked at Troy. "If that's okay."**

 **Troy shrugged. "I don't have a problem with it."**

 **##############**

 **The next morning Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully met at the mess tent for breakfast. As they walked in they spotted Charley sitting alone with a cup of coffee in front of her.**

 **The four men got their meals and sat down around her as Troy asked, "Mind if we join you?"**

 **Startled out of her thoughts, Charley smiled and said, "Please, be my guests."**

 **Moffitt said, "We thought you'd be spending some time with your father."**

" **He just left. Some meeting or other. We were up most of the night talking."**

 **Hitch swallowed his food and said, "And…"**

 **Moffitt scowled at him. "That's not very polite, Hitch. It's between her and the Colonel." Seeing Hitch's look of regret, he looked at Charley and said brightly, "And?"**

 **She laughed softly. "I'm staying. Dad said he did a lot of thinking while we were gone. He told me that I made a decision … and I should stick with it if it's what I want. He told me he's proud of me and that he will continue to worry about me."**

 **Moffitt smiled, "Parents tend to do that."**

 **Tully said, "I've said it before. Your father's a smart man."**

 **Charley said, "He said I may be a colonel's daughter, but I'll always be daddy's little girl." She then drained the last of her coffee and stood up, saying, "Now if you'll excuse me. I have a report to write and a nap to take. In that order. Then I'm going to find Marcus and thank him for breaking his leg."**


End file.
